Happy to report that the Colonel's song Queen Street Lost has found a new home on Justin Rutledge's excellent new discEast . Justin is a clever and talented (and quite popular) Canadian songwriter. Pick up a copy of his record from his website. Don't forget, each copy sold contributes at least a bit to Colonel's empire!

And there's a reason for that. The Colonel has been busy enjoying the summer, tanning, eating, and healing his broken leg. This summer he traded his air cast for a pair of desert boots... All's well... Look for him to be back in cowboy boots and on stages again this September!

Saturday June 13th the Colonel will head out with guitar and broken ankle in tow to play at Doll Factory. Come on out, all you all cowgirls (and cowboys!) for a good time BBQ brought to you by the fine women of Damzels in This Dress.

Now, you might not know this, but despite being a country singer he actually rides English. His horse being a rather tall specimen of the equine kingdom, it just makes more sense. And as such, he also wears a helmet. And for this he is very grateful. Now if only there were ankle helmets!

Have no fear, good people. The May 30 CD launch is still on, and his voice and fingers are as nimble as they are ever going to be.

Thanks to all the well-wishers. Keep your cards and letters coming, eh!

Better mark Saturday, May 30th on your calendars, good people. That's the day that Cameron House Records will be releasing our new album at (where else?) Toronto's Cameron House. Ten tracks of old-school country music, a couple of rockers, and (just for good measure) a classic recitation. Songs about love, loss, horses, work, global warming, and leading the night life. Keep your eyes peeled here for more details in the weeks to come, including a free download of The American Pour covering one of our favourite honky tonk singers!

Miss Alex (Pour back-up singer) snapped this photo of a momentous meeting recently. Here the horse lauded in One Horse Power, Beaumont, meets the guitar on which his tribute song was written.

Writes Alex...

"One might expect an animal of flight to be spooked by such an unknown thing -- a shiny, vibrating box of sound -- but Beaumont met this challenge with particular grace. In fact, he was very trusting of the Colonel. "He trusts me," said Parker, "It's because we've been through a lot together. To any other horse I might appear as a two-headed monster wearing this guitar." But to Beaumont, this was just his friend holding a piece of vibrating wood. "He's used to hearing me sing," said Parker, "but this was his first time seeing the guitar, and he was great about it!"

Sam Petite (Pour bassist) was sad to learn that Parker would not be bringing Beaumont into Toronto for a photo shoot in front of the Cameron House. "How hard can it be to put him in a box and bring him off for a few minutes?" That notwithstanding, "There's a city bylaw that only the police can ride a horse in the streets of Toronto," said Parker, dodging a bullet. "It's not that Beaumont wouldn't like the people at the Cameron House, but he really, really doesn't like to drink beer, believe me, I've tried" said Parker.

Just what exactly does One Horsepower feel like? Filmed during the summer and autumn of 2012, the song boasts the line, "good at the canter, even better at the trot" and gives a rider's eye view of exactly that. Single available later in 2013, folks!

Just finishing reading the Tammy Wynette biography by Jimmy McDonough. The woman had a tremendously successful career, paired up with a very tragic life. While I found myself feeling sad for her, in that she obviously suffered a lot through the years, the thing that really hit me was her dedication to the song. She obviously had an extraordinary voice, that's plain to see. But her taste in country music was also pretty spot on. She could take these now-classic songs and make them live and breathe.

Every time I get sort of down on how modern country music has become throwaway and cookie-cutter, the product of focus groups and songwriting committees, I just have to listen to someone like her. She lived the songs, and made them her own. The woman, despite being a scattered and broken soul, is an inspiration. Or maybe that's why she is such an inspiration. She could sing through it all. Thanks Tammy!

Or rather horse. Said horse being my dapple gray Percheron/Thoroughbred cross named Beaumont. Sometimes when we play shows where we have to pass the hat our bass player Sam Petite gently reminds me not to mention things like...

"Come on folks, throw some big bucks in there, I got a horse to feed!"

He does this, of course, in the hope that I will not spoil the band's chances to collect riches. 'Cause Sam figures that people will assume that I am (or we are) already rich beyond measure as I (or we) own horse(s).

Well it's just not the case. I am the only rich man in the band. So if a hat comes your way at one of those "pay what you can" sort of shows, please throw plenty of paper money in for the boys in the band.

And if you actually believe that I am rich...Well I am in a way. I might not be loaded, but I am rich with family and good friends like the fellows in the Poor. I mean Pour.